The Untold Story of The Life of Harry Potter
by TomarrywolfstarFTW
Summary: Harry is left at Wools Orphanage by the Dursleys before he could even get his letter. They were afraid of what was to come, and decided to put him out of their way, creating chaos in the wake of their choice. Harry ends up slightly different from what everyone was expecting, while not that big a deal to some, to others, it's frankly terrifying.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter, all rights to J.K. Rowling, the only thing that will belong to me is the plot idea.

Harry Potter was a very odd child, in many ways, the first being his stature. Harry was rather short, which, he guessed, was nice as it allowed him to fit in his cupboard fairly well. Harry was momentarily distracted from his musings by two sharp taps on the door, "Wake up, make breakfast, it better be perfect for Dudders' birthday or on your head it be!"

Harry sighed and began dressing, pulling a spider off his sock, there are another two reasons that Harry was odd. He was not afraid of spiders, he grew up surrounded by them. Also, he was the one that did all of the cooking and cleaning in the house. Petunia had considered having him so the gardening as well, but decided against it, as he is not allowed to leave the house. Harry quickly pushed open his cupboard door, ducking his head when he saw Vernon. Vernon disliked it when Harry looked at him, Harry was trying his best to stay out of trouble today because it would be three times worse. Harry managed to remain unnoticed, scurrying to the kitchen to begin breakfast.

Harry set about making strawberry crepes, bacon, and biscuits. As Harry flipped the last crepe, he noticed that it was just dark enough to be considered burnt. He panicked, and suddenly, it was gone. Poof. Harry looked around to make sure no one noticed, and for the first time in a long while, thanked that he was odd. You see the last reason Harry was odd, was that he could make things happen. For example, the reason Harry is no longer allowed to leave the house is that one of his teachers, shortly after she called him a liar when he claimed not to have stolen money from her purse (It was Dudley), started choking on nothing. The ambulance was called, and she is still in the hospital, six years later, stuck in a coma the doctors cannot explain.

Harry was nervous because whenever these odd occurrences happened, he always ended up in trouble. Luckily, all of the Dursleys were in the dining room. Dudley was whining about how he had two fewer presents than last year, and Petunia was placating him saying he could get three more while they were at the zoo. After Petunia said this, Vernon piped up saying, "I've got a surprise for you too, Dudley, you won't have to see the freak again anytime soon. While we're on the way to the zoo we'll be dropping it off at an orphanage. The paperwork is already filed as well, we won't even have to go in."

Harry froze, remembering the horror stories the Dursleys had told him about orphanages.

"They didn't even ask any questions," Vernon exclaimed, " just agreed, with a bit of a smile! That woman, Ms. Desp I think she said her name was, kind woman she was. Shame that, the freak could use a bit of a firm hand. I guess it'll do though, everywhere else asked too many questions. "

Harry was slightly relieved that Ms. Desp was supposedly kind. Dudley looked ecstatic; He wouldn't have to deal with the freak anymore.

Harry was feeling numb. He didn't understand why the Dursleys were pushing him off to an orphanage when he was the one that cleaned the house for them. Harry was sitting in the car pressed against the door in a bid to get away from Dudley's swinging fists, not that it was working too well. He could feel a few bruises blooming on his thighs already, he also had a few scratches on his side from a particularly vicious jab sent flying his way.

The Dursley's car pulled up in front of a building with a wrought iron gate that said, 'Wools Orphanage' in spindly letters. A woman was standing by the gate with a smile plastered on her face. Vernon looked at Harry and growled, "Get out boy, we have places to be."

Harry scrambled to get out of the car, barely managing to get the door closed before they sped off. They hadn't allowed Harry to take any of his things, because "We paid for those things boy, you have no right to them."

The woman, who Harry quickly found he was right to assume was Mrs. Desp, walked up to him, slamming her hand down on his shoulder (probably harder than she meant to) and introduced herself. She leads him inside, quickly handing him a uniform. There were five children lined up, introduced as, "Alice Cropp, Marcus Jude, Carson Whitlock, Sammy Spade, and Millie Coulson. This is Harry Potter. Everyone hurry up and put on your uniform, we're going to the library."

Harry hurried into the bathroom and changed into the new clothing. The uniform was a grey tweed fabric, with little back buttons on the pockets. Harry was very excited to go to the library, every time Vernon went to work and Petunia was at the store, he would go and check out new books. The last book he had checked out was Alice in Wonderland, he absolutely loved the Caterpillar.

Harry hurried out of the bathroom, joining the group as they were walking out the door. He was walking at the back of the group, as none of the other kids seemed too willing to talk to him just yet. That was okay, he was hesitant to talk to them as well.

The walk was short, as the orphanage was only two city blocks away from the library. There were a couple trees planted along the sidewalk, which Harry was pretty sure were young maple trees from the shape of their leaves. As they walked by, Harry quickly pulled off a few dying leaves, making a note to himself to find out what was wrong with it, and try to fix it.

The library was truly a beautiful structure, it was all stained glass and cobblestone. It looked like it was straight out of the middle ages. The inside was even more amazing to Harry though, there were two floors of every book you could imagine. Everything from biographies about Anne Frank to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The entire place smelled amazing as well, the smell of old paper and leather you can only find in a library.

Harry wondered between the shelves, picking up books that seemed interesting as he went. The library was his retreat. Every time something happened, as soon as he went to the library, he felt lighter. He felt like he had entered a whole new dimension, void of the Dursleys and Bulldogs.

Harry walked to the newest addition, a computer lab. Everything was very boxy, yet also better than it had been when computer were first available to the public. Harry was interested in knowing the history of where he was staying now.

Fire Burns Down Orphanage

August 21, 1949

Last Wednesday, a mysterious fire decimated Wools Orphanage, killing two children and injuring one. The only thing left after this tragic accident -that is still unexplained- are the front gates. The rebuilding of the orphanage is planed to start within the year. I'll keep everyone up to date on what's happening, but that's all the information we have, as of yet.

For more information on possible causes, turn to page 9.

Andrew Withers

...

Mrs. Desp came to get Harry, telling him that it was time to leave. Harry was disappointed, he wouldn't get to finish his research. He sighed, and picked up his books, quickly checking them out. The librarian smiled at him, having heard stories about how often he was in there from her wife at the Surrey library. Harry smiled back, thanking her for her help.

On the walk back, he read one of the books he had checked out, called The Encyclopedia of Tree Maladies, Illnesses, and Care. As he was reading, he would look at a tree as they passed it to see if it matched the description. All that matched -as far as he could see- was dehydration, and some weird disease that slowly hollows out a tree from the inside. Harry hoped it was just dehydration.

Harry was following Mrs. Desp up the stairs, and he was starting to get a little light headed. He knew what it was, malnutrition causes a drop in blood pressure leading to dizziness and passing out. Harry hadn't eaten in about four days, and when he had it was just a piece of bread and a cup of water, like he normally gets on Sundays.

Harry shook it off, continuing after her. The room she lead him to was the second to last door on the right. The room itself was small, but still bigger than he was used to. Harry told Mrs. Desp he wasn't hungry, and he was going to bed. Harry grabbed the blanket off the bed, cramming into the closet, uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping in such a large room, and fell into the most restful sleep he'd had in a while.

(Wc: 1535)


	2. Chapter Two

Harry woke up to polite knocking on the door to his room. He crawled out of the closet to open it.

Mrs. Desp was standing outside, with a list in her hand. She handed the list to Harry witha cheery, "Good Morning!" before continuing on her way. Harry smiled after her, happy that the list seemed so short, whatever it was for. Harry looked closer and saw that it was a list of chores, which made him sigh. At least today he would only be doing gardening.

He looked down at himself, shrugging, realizing he was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. He slipped on his shoes, and went straight out to the backyard. Pausing, he looked around at the small garden, deciding how to go about it. He decided to water everything first, then look through for weeds and finally pruning all the plants. Harry quickly filled a watering can, and started slowly soaking the ground all around him. He paused, looked around, and made a decision. Quickly Harry sprinted to the front of the orphanage, where one of the trees sat, and poured the rest of the water on it. Harry ran back, filling the watering can again, and continuing like nothing happened. Once he was done watering, he kneeled down and started pulling weeds. He had waited until.after watering because it made the ground softer, making it easier to pull the weeds out.

The gardening continued on like this for some time, leaving Harry exhausted when he went back inside.

Harry's life in the orphanage continued on at a steady pace, falling into a routine, until one day, one letter, one simple letter, threw everything into a tizzy. Mrs. Desp came to him, and asked him to come to her office. Harry was confused, as children were not often punished here, and even if he was in trouble, the only thing it could be for, was watering the tree.

Harry walked behind her, reviewing all that he had done through the entire three weeks he had been there. They entered her office, and he sat in front of her desk. She sat down and started at him for about five minutes, and then asked, "Harry, I've noticed that you have a few very serious bruises on your shins. Were they there when you came, or are they new?"

Harry scrambled to think of an answer, not wanting her to think of him as a freak like the Dursleys did. After a few moments, he decided that the only thing she would believe was the truth, as he had not said as much as three sentences to the other orphans. Tears formed in his green eyes, causing her eyes to widen. "Before," Harry whispered, " they're from before. "

"How did they get there?"

" No! No, no, no! Please don't ask anything else! Nobody did anything! The Dursleys love me, I swear! I'm fed, they put a roof over my head, taught me important things, they even schooled me at home so I wouldn't get in trouble! They love me! "

"Harry... Did they ever tell you they did? Did they take you places?"

" They didn't have too! They didn't have to say it, I knew! Why else would they have taken such good care of me?! "

"Okay Harry, but tell me this, were you and your cousin treated differently? Did he get anything that you didn't?"

"No! He didn't!"

" Why are you in clothing that looks like it could fit three of you, while the rest of them, from what I saw, were in clothes that fit them perfectly? "

"They let me have Dudley's old clothes, because... I don't know okay! Just stop asking about them!"

"Fine, but we will talk about this later Harry. I had something else I wanted to talk about, okay?"

" Okay. " Harry sighed in relief, drying his tears, glad that they were off that topic.

Mrs. Desp slid an envelope across her desk, that was addressed to him, with a broken purple seal.

"This letter came in the post, and it says that you were accepted into a school, called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They will probably send a representative from the school, as that's what they did when my sister was accepted."

Harry went wide eyed scared of what she might say next, but it seems he didn't have to worry, as she looked quite happy, not mad as the Dursleys would have been.

"But... That can't be, I'm just Harry, what need would they have for me at a place for people so... So amazing. I wouldn't belong."

" Harry, you are a wizard, I have no doubt about it. I may be a Muggle myself, but from what your uncle blathered about while he was here, you are a wizard. This is an opportunity I can't allow you to pass up. This would make it to where you can have friends that you relate to. "

"Your sister, would I be able to meet her?"

" I don't know Harry, I haven't spoken to her in a great many years. About fifteen I think. "

"Why not?"

" It's complicated Harry, we just had a lot that we could not agree on, okay? "

"Alright."

(WC: 870)

I'm sorry its so short, I've just had major writers block lately. Next chapter will be longer.


	3. Chapter Three

Harry stepped out of her office and went to his room, sitting down in the closet. The small closet was like a safe space for Harry, he was used to it, and it always brought him the comfort of solitude. In his cupboard, the Dursleys couldn't get to him. The worst that had ever happened in his cupboard was spiders and being covered in saw dust.

Harry pried up the loose board that he had hidden the books from the library in. He pulled up one of the fiction books that he had, wondering about what the letter Mrs. Desp said she would write was going to say. It would probably just inform the Deputy Headmistress that he would be going. He sighed and opened the book, beginning to read.

After Harry left, Mrs. Desp sighed and began penning the letter to Hogwarts.

Dear Deputy Headmistress Mcgonagall,

My name is Stephanie Desp, and I currently have Mr. Potter in my care. We would like to accept your invitation for him to attend your school, and thank you for this opportunity. I would appreciate it if you could send a representative from the school to help him get his things, and tell him more about it. He was brought here about two weeks ago, and I suspect it was because his old guardians didn't understand the gift he has. From what I have seen, he is very closed off and not very willing to make conversation with his peers, I'm not sure what the situation was in his old home, but it did not seem good.

I hope for his sake, he finds a place within your school, and is able to get help. I thank you, once again, for giving him this opportunity. I'm glad he ended up in my orphanage, or I don't think he would have gotten his letter. I hope to see someone soon, have a wonderful evening.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Desp

Later that night, Stephanie found a letter sitting on her office desk, when she picked it up it was a very thick parchment. She guessed that it was a reply and opened it, pleased when she saw the same smooth, green handwriting belonging to the Deputy Headmistress.

Mrs. Stephanie Desp,

Thank you for contacting us, someone from the school should arrive at about fourteen-thirty tomorrow. I'll be sure to have them include information about the school when they arrive. There is no need to worry about the cost of anything, as Mr. Potter has a vault or two in Gringotts already. The key is enclosed as well. I hope these words meet you well.

Sincerely,

Minerva Mcgonagall

Stephanie pulled a gold key out of the envelope and placed it in her desk drawer. She then went and locked all of the doors and windows throughout the orphanage. When she had done that she went back through her office and through the door to her bedroom, settling down for the night.

Harry woke up to knocking at his door and Mrs. Desp calling him and telling him that he had someone here to talk to him, and asking if it was alright if they came into the room.

Harry called his consent, crawling out of his closet, and pulling his shirt the rest of the way on. He ran over to the door and pulled it open for whomever was outside it.

When he looked, Harry saw an old man in a violet and mint suit, and a man with a purple turban. He blinked at the odd choice of clothing and invited them into the room, leaving the door open after they came in. The old man walked over to the desk in the corner of his room and sat down, facing Harry with an odd twinkle in his eye. Harry sat on his bed, slightly weary, wondering why the other man was still standing by the door.

The Twinkly man, -yes, Harry was calling him that, no you can't stop him, you are mearly a reader you have no contol over him and even he knows this- looked at Harry and smiled, sicking his gnarled hand out for a shake. "My name is Professor Dumbledore, I will be your headmaster while you attend Hogwarts. The man by the door will be your professor, Professor Quirlle, he teaches Defense Against The Dark Arts more commonly referred to as DADA. Do you have any questions I can answer, and perhaps you can answer some of mine?"

Twinkly looked at Harry waiting for an answer to his inquiry. Harry looked at him, nodded his head, and asked the first question that came to mind, "In Defense, will we be learning the Dark Arts, whatever they may be? After all, the best way to defend agaimst something is to know about it, or use the thing its self."

The Professor looked pleasantly surprised, but his look quickly turned sour with Twinkly's answer. "I should think not, my boy," Twinkly began, "The Dark Arts, is the most dangerous branch of magic there is. The Dark Arts are used to inflict terrible pain, or even death upon someone. Neutral and Light Arts, which you will be learning, are only used for good, and are not harmful. For example, Lumos." The tip of the man's wand lit up causing Harry to flinch back in slight shock.

"Can you control the power behind the spell or will it always have the exact same result?"

"The power is easily controlled with a bit of practice, my boy."

"Then, say a very practiced wizard or witch were to use this spell while putting loads of power behind it, could blind someone yes? There are spells that let you lift things right? You see it all the time on the telly when something fre- odd happens, so I'm going to assume you do. So what if someone were to use this spell on a person, lift them really high in the air, and cancel the spell? The person would then die, would they not?"

"Well, yes my boy, they would die, but it wouldn't have been the spell itself that killed them it would be the fa-"

"Yes, the fall caused directly by the spell, so the spell would kill them. Now tell me, is this spell considered Dark?"

"Well no, bu-"

"Exactly, now, give me an example of a Dark Arts spell. Go on."

"Well, there is one used to cause unimaginable pain by stimulating the nerves past what can be handled."

"This brings us back to the power behind the spell, if less power was put behind the spell, then it fould be used to restart the heart after immediately after it stops, like doctors do. It could also be used as a form of physical therapy, to try to stimulate the nerves in someones body, to get them to react again."

Twinkly looked stunned and as though everything he believed in life was being called into question, the sighed and said, " Don't try to explain things you have no understanding of, my boy."

Then the Professor finally spoke up, "Actually, Headmaster, Mr.Potter is correct. Before that spell was made Unforgivable, those were some of its uses. "

Twinkly seemed to ignore him and looked at Harry, "Now, my boy, I've answered some of your questions, now why don't you answer one of mine, yes? Why did your Aunt and Uncle leave you here?"

"All I know is that they were glad to be rid of me. I'm not sure why they left me."

"Ah, is that so? Well lets be off then, lots of things to buy!"

(WC: 1275)

Thank you for reading, I'm sorry this chapter took so long I just got out of school, and I'm trying to get a summer job, but I'll make sure to at least get all ten published chapters rewritten by the end of the summer. Vote, Comment, and live your best life!


	4. Chapter Four

Harry followed Mr. Twinkle Toes out of the orphanage and bid goodbye to Mrs. Desp, the three males walked to an alleyway, Harry growing more and more confused as they went. When they got into the alley, Twinkle Toes looked around, making sure no one was around, and nodded towards the Professor. Quirrell held out his arm, and gave it a significant look, then looked at Harry. Harry grabbed the Professor's arm and suddenly felt as though he was being forced through a very small tube.

The sensation stopped and Harry was on the ground. Harry rolled over got his knees under him, and immediately threw up. Quirrell winced and vanished the mess, not that Harry noticed, he was too busy being embarrassed about throwing up and trying not to do it again.

"Don't worry, my boy, everyone throws up after their first Apparition experience. Come on now, we need to go to Gringotts!"

Harry sighed and stood up to follow after Twinkly, Quirrell beside him. Harry was quickly getting annoyed, and wondered if he hadn't gone with the ignorant, sniffling little boy act with Mrs. Desp, if he could have come alone. Harry had actually known about the Wizarding World since he was six.

_Flashback_

_A younger Harry was walking down one of the history isles in the London Library -on one of the very few trips the Dursleys had actually taken him on, although they did only dump him here for the time being- when someone smacked into him suddenly. The person -a girl Harry noticed- looked at him with all the disdain a six-year-old could manage._

_"How are you here," she barked " _muggles_ aren't supposed to be able to be in this section."_

_Harry was confused, what was a muggle? Hoping she would answer, he asked._

_"A muggle is someone who can't do magic. Since you're over here, now that I think about it, you can't be a muggle. You must either be a mudblood, or an ignorant Light half-blood. Which is it."_

_"Mudblood? What's that? And what do you mean magic!"_

_"Oh enough with the questions! What's your full name?"_

_"Harry James Potter."_

_She gasped, looked at him, then said, "I'm Lillian Moon, and we are going to go talk to my parents, see what they make of you having obviously grown up in the muggle world."_

_She grabbed his wrist and started pulling him in the direction she had come from._

_"You can't just say magic exists then just wave aside my questions!"_

_"I can and I will, shut up and come on my parents will explain."_

_And they had. They had explained so much, even explaining the differences between the Dark and so-called Light that Lillian had implied earlier. They told Harry the truth regarding his parents, and as much as they could in that first meeting._

_Harry had seen them a couple dozen more times in the Surrey library after he explained his home life to him. They had even come by the house at one point, but were unable to enter due to what Mr. Moon explained to be a ward. He wasn't quite sure what type, but he said it seemed ancient and Dark, which seemed to surprise him._

_Flashback Over _

The Three continued on the way to Gringotts after Harry was sure he wasn't going to get sick again. Harry was not surprised, yet still amazed by everything happening on Diagon Alley. He had been once or twice, but the lively atmosphere never ceased to amaze him. Harry looked at the pet shop as he passed, hoping he could get a pet that he would be able to keep. Once, when Harry was younger, he had had a pet mouse he had found in his cupboard, but when Dudely saw it, he killed it. He thought it was disgusting, but had said something along the lines of 'it's just as disgusting as you, Freak!'

Harry hadn't been paying enough attention to know exactly what was said, as he was too angry. Dudley's head started to slowly sprout hair, well, more like fur. Harry was very proud of that burst of 'accidental' magic. Harry shook himself out of the recollection, noticing a beautiful snowy owl in a cage outside the store.

Harry sighed, and ran to catch up with Dumbledore and Professor Quirrell, who were just starting to enter the bank. When Harry caught up, Quirrell looked down with a small smirk and huff of laughter. Harry was slightly startled that Dumbledore didn't notice that he hadn't been following, yet Quirrell had. Just goes to show how far Dumbledore had slipped. Harry looked at a message engraved in the marble wall as he passed which read:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

__Of what awaits the sin of greed__

__For those who take, but do not earn,__

__Must pay most dearly in their turn.__

__So if you seek beneath our floors__

__A treasure that was never yours,__

__Thief, you have been warned, beware__

__Of finding more than treasure there.__

Harry thought it read as more of a bet than a threat. Harry scoffed, then nodded to one of the Goblins guarding the entrance doors as they passed.

The group approached the counter, and Dumbledore smiled up at the Goblin, who merely sneered in response. "I have here with me, and he needs to access his vault."

"Does have his key?" 

"Ah! Yes, yes, here it is."

Harry was unsure why Dumbledore had his key, but he did not like it. It seemed... suspicious.

"How much should be in my vault, after 11 years," Harry asked quickly, "It should be a size-able amount, yes?"

The goblin looked Harry over, nodded his head, and said, "After 11 years of deposits, there should be 560,000 galleons. No more, no less."

"I notice you said should, how much is in there now? Is there more or less in the vault?"

"Less." 

"Where has the money gone then?"

"There have been several withdrawals made by on-"

"Ah! Harry, my boy, surely it is not that important to know who took it, perhaps they were just in more need of it than you?"

Harry looked at Dumbledore incredulously opening his mouth to reply, when he was stopped by a look from Professor Quirrell. Harry closed his mouth and gave Dumbledore a look full of loathing.

Harry turned his head, offering a subtle snub. He was not pleased that he was not figuring out what was happening to his money, but he could put it off until he could come by himself. He was already making plans to come back as soon as he could.

The group entered the cart, which, Harry noticed, did not have a seat belt or even a bar to keep them in place. The goblin stepped in after them, closing the door. It pulled a lever, and the cart rocketed down the track. The cart was moving fast enough to make Harry worry he would sick up again if it didn't stop soon. Luckily, it stopped after a moment, with the Goblin calling out, "Vault 687"

They stepped out of the cart, Dumbledore handing the key to the Goblin, who opened the door and handed the key to Harry. Harry shoved the key into his pocket before Dumbledore could ask for it back as he looked like he wanted to.

Harry looked in the vault and saw a giant pile of gold, surrounded by a few smaller piles of bronze and silver. The Goblin said in a dry voice, "17 Sickles to a Galleon, 29 Knuts to a Sickle. 493 Knuts to a Galleon."

...

They exited the bank Dumbledore stopping and saying, "Well, this is where I leave you, I have a few things to attend to, Professor Quirrell will help you get your things, and I will see you come September 1st."

"Yes, I will see you on the first, Headmaster. I hope your errands go well, until we meet again." Harry nodded to the Headmaster with as much of a smile as he could manage. He was glad to be free of the man, at least for a while. The Headmaster gave a slightly forced smile, nodding his head and turning around.

Harry turned towards Professor Quirrell, motioning for him to lead the way. Quirrell turned and began walking to what Harry assumed to be the robe shop -Why they couldn't just wear trousers and a button up, Harry didn't know, much more practical in his opinion.- called _Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. _They walked past the pet shop once again, Harry seeing the beautiful owl once again. Harry was contemplating getting the owl, but knew he would have no use for her and she would only suffer for it. They walked in, Quirrell leading him to a portly woman with brown hair tied up in a neat bun. The shop itself looked a good deal like the woman, orderly but overflowing. Rows upon rows of ready made robes in all the colours, cuts, and sizes you could imagine. The woman turned towards them, beaming, she said, "Hello! Hogwarts, dear? Yes, yes come over to this stool here."

Harry stepped up onto the stool she indicated, curiously eyeing the boy to his left. The boy had ice blonde hair and sharp features. Harry wasn't sure what colour his eyes were, until the boy turned towards him, and he saw that he had beautiful silver eyes. The boy looked him over and said, "My name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, and yours?"

"Harry, Harry Potter."

The blondes eyes widened, then he smirked. "Pleased to meet you, my mum is over buying my books now, but I have yet to get my wand, have you?"

"No, not yet."

"Would you like to join me?"

Harry looked to Quirrell, who gave a small nod. "I would be happy to."

Draco gave a real smile, then looked over to the window, where a group of rowdy redheads was walking by. He sneered, looked at Harry, and said "You should stick with me, as their are some families that are simply... better than others."

Harry nodded and smiled, having already known that he would stick with Draco over the Weaslys who had just passed by. Harry had recognized the Weaslys from Lily's description of them, she had described them as, "A hoard of red heads with no sense between them, even though they were mostly Ravenclaws."

"What house do you think you will be in? I'll be in Slytherin, there hasn't been a Malfoy not in Slytherin since my family came here from France."

"I'll probably be in either Ravenclaw or Slytherin, although my parents were in Gryffindor."

"Ravenclaw is a good house, better than Hufflepuff I'll say."

The woman had finished measuring them by that time, and turned to Harry to ask a question he assumed she had already asked Draco. "Would you like anything other than your school robes, dear?"

Harry stopped to think for a moment, and said, "Yes, I would like a few black jumpers, as well as a few pairs of black trousers. A pair of dress shoes, and a few button ups."

The woman smiled and gave a wave of her wand, everything Harry had listed flying off the racks and onto the counter shrinking to what Harry assumed was his measurements along the way. Harry got off the stool, and went to the counter, setting down the amount of Galleons along the way.

Harry waited by the door for Draco's robes to finish flying over to the counter, and when it was finally done, Draco and Harry left, following Quirrell to _Ollivanders,_ the wand shop. Draco said his mum was already there, and that Harry would meet her when they got there.

They walked down the alley a little more, finally coming across the store they were looking for they saw a pale blonde woman out side the store. Draco's mum was a very beautiful woman with beautiful hair, but it was no where near as blonde as Draco's. Hers was more of a golden blonde with lighter streaks throughout.

Harry smiled at the woman as they approached. Draco grabbed his wrist and pulled him to stand in front of her. Draco dropped his wrist and motioned to him saying, "Mother, this is my new friend that I met at the robe shop. His name is Harry Potter."

Mrs. Malfoy looked at him with slightly widened eyes, but that was the only change in her expression. She looked him over, then held out her hand with the palm facing down wards. Harry remembered Lily telling him about the Malfoy family, while talking about pureblood customs. Harry grabbed the offered fingers and kissed her hand. She smiled slightly, as though she had been expecting him to not know anything of their customs. "Hello, Heir Potter, how are you?"

"Very well, Lady Malfoy, and yourself?"

"Splendid. I'm afraid that this question will sound rude, but I must ask you anyway, Where have you been staying? We have been led to believe you have been living in luxury, but by the way you are dressed -again I apologize if I come off as rude- you do not look like you have been."

"Ah, no, I haven't. I've been living in the _muggle _world, with my... loving... relatives. At least, I was. I am no longer in their custody, as they dropped me at Wools Orphanage on my cousin's birthday."

Narcissa looked outraged, "I will not have my nephew living in an orphanage! Let alone with muggles! I need to discuss this with Lucius..."

Harry was kind of shocked but not willing to show it so he just nodded a bit. Quirrell must have noticed that he was uncomfortable, for he ushered her into the shop, Draco following along behind him. Harry entered last, looking around the seemingly empty shop, taking in the towering shelves full of rectangular boxes. Narcissa cleared her throat, and a head of white hair popped around the corner of a shelf. The man who was probably Ollivander, had odd silvery eyes, which didn't seem to be focused on any particular thing. He grinned and looked in Narcissa's direction. "Ah, Miss Black, or is it Mrs. Malfoy now?"

"Yes."

"I remember your wand, a beautiful Ebony, 11 in, Unicorn hair core, quite whippy, are you here for a new wand?"

"No, I'm here with my son for his wand, along with his friend Mr. Potter."

Ollivander's head whipped around to face Harry, still grinning, which was a bit unsettling, and said, "AH! Mr. Potter! I remember you parents, why, your mother, _It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work. __Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course._"

"Of course," said Harry, " How else would it happen?"

Ollivander continued grinning, which Harry was starting to get used to. "Which wand is your wand arm?"

"Well, I'm right handed...?"

Ollivander nodded, and flicked his own sandy coloured wand, causing two tape measures to fly out of the tip, at Harry and Draco, who had held out his left arm when prompted. The tape was whizzing all around them measuring everywhere, including the space between their nostrils. Harry wasn't sure why that needed measured but went along with it anyway. Ollivander finally called off the tapes, which fell to the ground limply. He came back from between the shelves with two piles of boxes, opening one and handing the wand to Draco. Draco waved the wand causing the vase in the corner to explode. Draco jumped and handed it back to Ollivander, who sighed. This continued on for a few more wands util finally Draco was handed one, and when he waved it, silver sparks spouted out of the tip. "10 in, Hawthorn, unicorn hair! A fine creation that one."

Draco smirked and looked to his mother, who smiled at him with a bit of pride. Ollivander turned to Harry, handing him one of the boxes, looking at him expectantly. Harry pulled out the wand, and gave it a flick, slightly disappointed but not surprised, when nothing happened, except a window breaking. They went through man wands, Ollivander becoming even more ecstatic as they tried more, until finally, they cam across a brown wand, that wasn't too long or too short. Harry took the wand and waved it flowers spouting out of the tip, until it suddenly stopped, Ollivander looking slightly put out. Ollivander took the wand from Harry, with an apologetic look. "The core bonded, but the wood did not. Simple fix really, but always disappointing when it needs to be done. Simply hold your hand over the woods I bring out, and I'll combine them."

Ollivander ran his wand down the side of the brown wand, causing the wood to split. He then jogged back to wherever he had emerged from when the group came in. He came back with a larger box, which had the raw wood.

He lied out the raw wood in a straight line on his counter and waved Harry over. Harry walked over to him, and started to move his hand over the pieces of wood. Harry felt a tingle come from a few pieces of wood, but they still didn't feel... right to him. Near the middle of the line up Harry found a long piece of ivory wood. Harry stopped on it, having felt an almost burning sensation coming from it. Harry picked it up, and turned to face Ollivander. Ollivander took it from him, and held up the orange feather he had pulled from the brown wand, holding the wood and the feather very close together. He let go of the items, and they remained floating. He moved his wand in a downward, ending it with a slight curve. There was a bright flash of red light, and a sharp snap. After a moment the light faded away, leaving behind a long white wand.

Harry grabbed the wand, and felt a huge rush, that hadn't happened with the original wood.

"12 1/2 in, Aspen wood, and Phoenix feather core. Often mistaken for Yew, Aspen is a great wand for revolutionaries. The core makes yours a brother to the very wand that gave you that scar. We can expect Great things from you , great indeed."

(WC: 3107)


	5. Chapter Five

Harry took the finished wand from Ollivander, and smiled at the description he gave. The wand was a beautiful white colour, with no blemishes. The wand had a mesmerizing carving of a maple leaf on the hilt, and smaller leaves that appeared to be falling down. Harry thanked the man, payed, and started to leave, when he noticed the looks on the Malfoy Matriarch's face. Her expression showed a mixture of shock and awe, but Harry wasn't sure what it was about. Harry looked at Quirrell, who looked deeply troubled, with a hint of curiosity. Harry thought about asking but decided he didn't really care why they looked so shocked. Harry turned around and walked out, expecting them to follow after snapping out of their stupor. Harry was right of course, and they had all caught up to him by the time he had reached_ Flourish and Blotts. _The group walked into the shop and picked up the required school books. Harry looked around to find anything that he thought was interesting and he found quite a few; _Grindlewald and Nazis: A Comprehensive Overview, An In-depth Look Into Wizarding History, Fighting With Fallacy: Separating The Truth From the Myths, Calligraphy: A Beginners Guide, Delving Into Dreams: What Do They Mean And How to Prevent Them, _and_ Ministry Functions_. Harry was getting whatever interested him, because the Moon's may have been able to teach him about the true uses of magic, but they couldn't teach him everything. Most of the things he learned from them, he learned because he asked. They seemed to have the policy of ask and you shall receive but they wouldn't do more than asked.

Harry ignored the looks he got from Draco for grabbing so much, and walked over to the counter, and waited impatiently for the shop keep to ring up his books. The man looked and the books Harry had gotten, and chuckled a bit looking up to say, "Ravenclaw in the making, eh?"

Harry smiled a bit and replied, "Well, one can only hope."

Harry handed the money he was asked for to the teller, and took the bag of books. Harry turned and walked over to another bookshelf to browse a bit more while waiting for Draco to finish getting his own books. When Draco had finished and gotten Harry's attention they left and went to the apothecary a few blocks down the street. Harry contemplated getting a silver plated caldron instead of the pewter one the list said to, but Draco said not to because it could ruin the potions they were instructed to make in class. Harry sighed and got the pewter caldron, much to Professor Quirrell's amusement. Harry grabbed the first year potions kit that were on the shelf in front of the door, the owners of the shop most likely wanting to hurry the uneducated first years through. Draco grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled him around with him while gathering extra ingredients placing some in Harry's arms as well. Harry smiled a bit, amused at his friends antics. They dumped their findings so far on the counter, and turned to find the scales and phials. Harry wandered about and found the phials, calling Draco over to him and handing him a set of the crystal phials. Harry and Draco walked around a bit more and found the brass scales and taking both up to the counter. The woman at the counter looked bored, and slightly annoyed with them for taking so long. They hurried out of the shop and moved on to the _Magical Menagerie _stopping to grab their telescopes on the way.

They entered the shop to a sudden blast of noise, that was somehow surprising to Harry. Harry hadn't heard anything from outside the door, so wasn't expecting it to be as loud as it was. Draco looked over and saw Harry's confusion, "Silencing charm," Draco remarked "they probably got a mountain of noise complaints in the early days of the shop."

Harry nodded and started looking around, wanting to find something to take with him, perhaps even find a constant in his ever shifting life. No matter how loathe he was to admit it, he wasn't very happy with the constant changes, and wished he had time to settle into something before it shifted. He was getting tired of constantly agonizing over when the next change would occur, but he didn't think it would any time soon, so he wanted one thing that wouldn't change, even if he himself changed. Harry was pulled out of his thoughts by something pulling on the leg of his trousers, and looked down to see a black paw batting at a loose string. Harry crouched down to look into the cage at the little ball of black fluff, and saw bright blue eyes staring back at him. He smiled softly and wiggled his fingers into the cage to pat the kitten inside. Draco came up beside him, and gave a soft "Awe" when he saw the kitten.

Harry unlatched the cage, and caught the kitten by its scruff when it tried to dart past him. He gathered it into a more comfortable position and brought it to the teller. The teenager at the counter smiled at the ball in Harry's arms and said, "That's Jareth, he's a quarter Kneazel and three quarters Maine coon. He'll be huge when he's full grown! There's cat food over there by the mice, it's the kind he's been eating since we weened him so I'm certain he'll eat it."

Harry went to where the teen had said to go, grabbed the food as well as treats and toys. Harry gave the teen the eleven galleons they had asked for, then went to find the Malfoys and Quirrell again. When he found them waiting just outside of the store, he saw that Draco had gotten a beautiful Eagle Owl. Harry smiled at them, and turned to Quirrell who had gone to get Harry a trunk while waiting. Quirrell took Harry's things and placed them into the newly acquired trunk and shrinking it, leaving Harry with his coarse books. Quirrell nodded to the Malfoys and said, "Well we must be going now, Harry here has to get back soon."

Narcissa stepped forward and squeezed Harry's shoulder with a sad smile, "I'll be speaking with Lucius as soon as we arrive back at the Manor."

"Thank you Lady Malfoy, I look forward to seeing you again."

...

Harry spent the time between his Diagon Alley trip and September first reading all of his course books as well as caring for the tree. The tree was steadily looking healthier than when he first arrived in the orphanage. Harry had contemplated reading the extra books he got over break, but he wanted to save something to read on the trips on the train both to the school and back. By the time Quirrell arrived, Harry was restless and tired of being in the orphanage, he was tired of the way the other orphans acted. They all seemed so defeated and desolate, it made Harry antsy. Quirrell knocked and the door opened to show a relieved Harry and an amused Mrs. Desp. Harry waved to Mrs. Desp and walked out to Quirrell's side. Quirrell huffed out a laugh, following the impatient preteen to the alleyway and grabbed his shoulder, apparating to Kings Cross Station. Quirrell led him over to the brick divider between platforms nine and ten, and pointed at the wall saying "All you have to do is run at the wall there, and you'll be on the platform, I'll follow right after you to unshrink your things."

Harry nodded, although he looked a bit unsure. He squared his shoulders and ran at the wall at a dead sprint, cringing when he expected to run into a solid wall. He opened his eyes and looked around him when he realized he was no longer where he had been, he dropped his books in slight shock; then tried to play it off as though he had just set them down in order to look for Quirrell who had suddenly shown up behind him. Quirrell had a slight smirk on his face though, so Harry could tell he knew. Quirrell handed Harry his kitten, which he had taken with him as was allergic, and re-sized Harry's trunk. Harry opened his trunk and put his bag of books within. Quirrell waved his wand again and suddenly Harry's trunk was inside of an empty compartment. Harry nodded his head to Quirrell and bid him farewell while climbing onto the train.

Harry walked down the hall, looking into the compartments as he passed in search of the one containing his trunk. When he found it he slid open the door and settled into a seat, making sure Jareth was comfortable in his lap, and decided to spend his time people watching to see if he could find Draco. Harry watched as families arrived, growing uncomfortable with all of the heart felt goodbyes he witnessed, but tried to shake it off and not display it. Harry never saw Draco arrive, but he did see the Weasleys. Harry didn't think he would like them from how loud they all seemed, let alone because they were rumored to follow Dumbledore. Harry sighed, and stepped up on to the seat, after moving Jareth to the seat next to him, and started digging into his trunk for a book once again. This will be a long journey, Harry thought to himself, settling back into his seat with _Ministry Functions_.

...

(WC:1603)


	6. Chapter Six

Harry looked up from his book when he heard a knock on the door to his compartment, standing outside was a frowning red head. Harry got up, patting Jareth as he walked past and slid open the door a bit. "Yes," Harry inquired, "What do you need?"

"Are you Harry Potter? I heard he was supposed to be here this year."

"Ah... I'm afraid not."

The redhead groaned and walked away with out saying anything else. Harry sighed and sat back in his seat, glad to not have had to deal with the Weasley pestering him. He grabbed Jareth and put him in his lap, opening his book to start reading again, when he heard yet another knock. He sighed, starting to get annoyed. He looked to the door, and saw the blonde he had been waiting to see. Harry set Jareth aside a gain, gaining an impatient look from the cat, and slid the door open. "Harry! I apologize for taking so long to find you, but I had to gather Pansy and Blaise, I wanted them to meet you."

"Come on then," Harry sighed "Get in here."

Harry stepped aside, and let the group in, looking at Draco expectantly. Draco looked at him for a second, then a look of understanding crossed his face. "This is Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini, This is Harry Potter."

"Pleased to meet you, Heir Parkinson, Heir Zabini."

"Well met, Heir Potter" The two said in unison.

Harry smiled and nodded at them, but was quickly distracted by someone knocking on his compartment door once again. Harry scowled to himself, and rose once again to see who was there. He opened the door to see a girl with bushy brown hair, and slightly bucked teeth. "Have any of you seen a toad? My friend Neville's lost his."

"No we haven't, have you tried asking a prefect?"

"I can't find any, I saw a Ravenclaw prefect once, but they had disappeared by the time I got to where they had been."

"I apologize, perhaps if you keep looking you'll come across either a prefect or the toad?"

"Probably, thank you for trying to help though."

"Of course."

Harry watched her move onto the next compartment, then closed the door, settling once again. The group that had settled in with him were looking at the door oddly, as though unsure what had just happened. Harry shrugged, pulling Jareth closer to back into his lap. Jareth gave him a look, as if warning him not to get up again. Harry patted Jareth's head to mollify the kitten. Harry joined a conversation with his new acquaintances, and they talked for a while, them explaining a few things about the classes, such as who the teachers were, when the door slid open, despite being locked. The one who opened the door was an old woman pushing a trolley.

"Anything off the trolley dears?"

"Oh," Draco exclaimed, "Yes please, a Licorice wand, want anything Harry? Blaise? Pansy?"

"A pumpkin pasty if you would." Pansy said in a falsely simpering voice.

"Oh, nothing for me, thanks my mum doesn't let me have sweets, and I'm okay with not eating them," said Blaise, "Thanks though Draco."

"I'll pass, not hungry." Harry told the trio, slightly irritated about the continued interruptions. He just wanted to finish this one book before they reached Hogwarts, but it didn't seem like he would be getting to with his current company. He sighed and set his book to the side, tuning into the current conversation.

"-ot what he meant, of course we won't actually be taking a test, he probably meant it in a less literal way; Draco, you know your father would never allow something potentially embarrassing." Blaise sighed exasperatedly.

"Embarrassing! I wouldn't possibly do anything embarrassing, I'm a Malfoy! That's precisely why it could be a real test!"

"Oh hush Drake, who's to say it doesn't change with every generation and they just don't mention it? Perhaps your father took a test and just told you what he did?"

"Unlikely Pans, Hogwarts: A History says that students are sorted in a traditional way, implying that it stays the same."

Blaise huffed, and looked to Harry, "What do you think it will be, Potter?"

"Personally I'm of the opinion that it will be a simple test to see how we handle a specified situation. The houses have specific traits that define them, so I would assume how we handle the situation would help show them our personality, so they know where to place us."

"That," Pansy started, "actually makes more sense."

Harry smiled, and shook his head, petting Jareth and wondering how much longer there was to the school. Harry sighed and shook his head, deciding to get out his chess set that Quirrell had gotten him as a gift. He wanted to play a match now that he had people he could play against, as he hadn't ever gotten to play chess. "Anyone fancy a match?"

Blaise raised his hand with a slight smirk, looking forward to playing someone new.

...

Harry laughed as Blaise's Queen moved his king into check. Blaise had won fairly quickly, as Harry had no experience and didn't recognize any of the plays. Harry had enjoyed the pieces interacting with each other more than he had the actual game. The way the small stone figures threw around rude gestures was fairly entertaining to everyone in the compartment, even Pansy, who had appeared quite scandalized at first.

...

The rest of the train ride was spent playing various wizarding games which Harry was entirely unaware of, much to the amusement of the others in the compartment. The train finally slowed to a stop in the middle of their third game of exploding snap, and they heard a voice say, "Please leave all things on the Hogwarts Express, your items will be collected and moved to your dorms after the first years are sorted."

Harry and his newfound friends stepped out of the train and were ushered over to a large man bellowing "Firs' years ov'r 'ere!"

Harry looked at the large man in puzzlement, but followed him, as none of the older students seemed alarmed. The man led them to a lake, which held some small boats. "Four ta a bo'"

Harry climbed in a boat carefully, followed by Pansy, then Draco, and finally Blaise. After everyone settled into their boat, the man tapped the side of his boat causing all of the boats to lurch forward startling most of the poor first years. The man called for them to duck as they came to a particularly low hanging curtain of moss. After passing through the curtain, which none but the mad had the need to duck under, they were told, "You'll ge' yer firs' glim's o' Hogwarts roun' this bend."

Harry looked up, trying not gape, but it was hard. There was a beautiful castel shining in front of them, they still had a bit of lake to cross, so it made the view even better. They could see the castle in it's entirety, its spires and towers and an amazing covered bridge. Harry was immediately over come with a feeling of _home_, it just felt _right_ to him.

The boats pulled into a cove near a stone staircase that led right up to a small door. The man waited for all of the students to exit their boats and led them all to the door. The man ducked through the door and waited for everyone to enter after him, leading them down a hall to stand in front of a door. After a few minutes of conversation, Harry heard people start screaming. He looked around, trying to figure out why they were when he saw ghosts. He was slightly startled, but looked to Draco to see his reaction and saw him in the middle of rolling his eyes. Harry sighed a bit, glad that it seemed to be a relatively normal thing to happen.

Harry watched the ghosts, listening to their conversation as they glided overhead "- should give him another chance!"

"Another chance! He's had all o- why, what are you lot doing here?"

"We're waiting to be sorted." the girl with the bushy brown hair said.

"Is it that time already?!"

"Oh move on, the children must be sorted now."

Everyone jumped and spun around to look at the stern faced woman that now stood in front of the door they were told to wait at.

"I am Proffessor Mcgonagal, and I shall be the Deputy Headmistress for your time here. You will follow me into the Great Hall in just a moment to be sorted into your house for your time here. There are four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin; your house will be your family here, and I hope you will be an asset to where ever you are sorted. Take a moment to straighten yourself up," she paused here for a moment to look pointedly at the Weasley, " I will be back momentarily to collect you."

The woman turned back to the door and slipped through the opening she had made that was just big enough for herself. The students, meanwhile, started worrying anew at the issue of how they would be sorted. "I heard we would be fighting a troll!"

"Of course not Ronald, that would be dangerous."

Ronald sneered at the bushy haired girl, and scoffed, "What would you know, my brothers told me."

"They must have been having you on," said a blonde girl with feathered bangs, "They would never make first years with no instruction fight a _troll_."

"How would you know!"

"My aunt is the_ Head _of the DMLE. She wouldn't allow me to do so unprepared."

The redhead spluttered, his ears turning red. He was just opening his mouth to retaliate, when the door opened once more, and Proffessor Mcgonagal beckoned the students forward. They moved forward and were awed at the sight of the Great Hall. Harry looked around taking note of the starry ceiling and heard the bushy haired girl whisper over to the boy who had lost his toad, "It's enchanted to look like the sky outside, I read about it, in Hogwarts: A History."

Harry looked around, as the hall had suddenly gone silent. In front of the Proffessors table, a rickity old stool was set up with an old had set atop it. The hat cleared it's throat and started to sing,

_"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your black,  
Your sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in ,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in ,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old ,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The room exploded into applause, and Mcgonagal unrolled the scroll she was holding and began reading names from the parchment.

"Abbott, Hannah."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Bones, Susan."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The sorting contiued on, eventually reaching Draco, who shot Harry a smirk and went to sit on the stool. The Hat barely even touched Draco's head before it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"

The sorting continued on, eventually reaching Harry.

"Potter, Harry"

The hall went quiet, and Harry slowely walked up to the stool himself. Harry Settled on the stool, and Mcgonagal put the Hat onto his head. A voice echoed in Harry's head, "Ah, I've heard a lot about you..."

(WC: 2,015)


End file.
